Mermaid
by SweetLouise
Summary: Serena is a mermaid. When she breaks the rules, she has no choice but to become a half-human. What will happen when the vampires find her?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. Ideas taken from H2O TV show and The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Anderson. Mer characters and Serena belong to me. **

**...**

Chapter One

I was underwater, swimming as usual. The sun was shining again and the light made my pastel pink tail glow with mermaid vibes. I was laughing with my best friend, Lynnie, a tall mermaid with pale hair and a plum-coloured tail, as we perched on some rocks near to the palace. The palace was where the king and his daughter lived. We were good friends with the Princess Imogene, so we were waiting for her outside. We could have gone in, because the swordfish knew who we were, but the sun was too brilliant today to miss out. My skin was naturally tan, but Lynnie was always trying to colour her rather snowy skin up a little.

"Do you ever wish you could be a human?" I wondered out loud.

I had always secretly wished I could be a human. I wanted to go to the surface and walk on land, go to human high school and do things that normal girls did, like go to parties, go shopping and flirt with boys. Under the ocean, however, you just couldn't say things like that out loud. Everyone was content with swimming about and being merfolk, that I thought I was just the anomaly of the bunch. As we were mythical creatures, we tended to be immortal – we ceased to age when we hit eighteen. There was an initiation ceremony that happened on our birthday, where we were welcomed into the 'family', so to speak. It meant we were officially part of the mer community forever, entitled to vote and such.

"Serena," Lynnie said anxiously. "You know you're not meant to say things like that in the open."

Her eyes glanced sideways at the glittering emerald walls of the palace. Lynnie knew all about my love of the land. I sneaked out a lot, swimming to the surface and sticking my head above water. We merfolk could breathe easily above water. I knew I had to knock out of this habit soon, because my father wanted me to be a proper lady for when I got married. My parents had chosen my husband for me, as was the custom. True love was not believed in down here. You got married because it was expected. And I did not like my fiancé, Chris, at all. He was an arrogant jerk, but he was rich and had posh parents, so my parents were overjoyed when his parents agreed to marriage to me.

"I know, Lynnie, I know," I sighed, just as Imogene sailed over.

There was a grin splashed across her face, and I smiled back because her optimistic attitude was so infectious. Imogene was getting married to a prince soon, just after our initiations. We all had one big ceremony for all the girls, and, since our birthdays were so close, the ceremony was in two weeks. It was just a matter of time before I was stuck down here forever. I grimaced.

"Hello, my darlings," Imogene greeted. "And what are we going to get up to today?"

"Mischief?" I shrugged, and she giggled.

We decided to go up to the surface, knowing that our parents would be mad, but not really caring. We stayed out of sight though, because when we arrived there were an awful lot of humans milling about. I was burning with jealously. The thing with humans was, they could not know of our existence. They did, of course, have their legends because some merfolk were just careless – but I secretly admired the merman who married his human lover. He went to the surface and was never seen again. It was terribly romantic, but naturally he was shunned from the community forever. Merfolk are proud people.

"When's the wedding, then?" I asked Imogene.

"Day after the ceremony," she said enthusiastically. She loved her fiancé, Aaron. I could understand why, as he was all the things Chris was not – charming, polite, attractive and humorous. They were the perfect couple and I was happy for them, if not a little wistful because I did not have the happy ending I had longed for.

"My dress is incredible," she sighed. "It's white, and the skirts flow and float divinely in the water. The jellyfish made it – you know what nimble tentacles they have. I can't wait for you to see it. Oh, and you two must come for a fitting for your bridesmaid dresses. I will set a date once I check with Papa. We are ridiculously busy! I envy how relaxed you always are."

This was news to me, because I was always stressed out over everything, but I nodded anyway. I was not the most normal of merfolk, because I had powers. This caused me to stress, although most of the mermaids in my class didn't believe that I was anything other than lucky. Rarely was a mermaid or merman blessed with a talent like mine. I could control the elements – I could manipulate them in any way I wanted. Because elemental control was generally not something taught at school, I was forced to struggle through myself and my own power sometimes scared me. I caused accidents when I could not control it. It had been almost one thousand years since a merfolk member had been blessed with powers. Once again, I was an anomaly.

We swam back late. The sun was setting, casting fiery colours into the sky. As we swam, I saw one of my favourite human inventions. I felt a rush of adrenaline and enthusiasm.

"Look!" I cried happily. "It's a ship!"

We weren't meant to go near ships, and I knew this but I went anyway, because I rarely saw them. I remained carefully concealed. The ship had an old-fashioned charm – not like the cruise ships I saw from time to time – but was also modern. I swam over to a window, peering inside with delight spread across my face. I could hear the cries of the others to come back, because they would be forced to leave me otherwise, but I didn't care. I was glad they were leaving, because I didn't want them to get into any sort of trouble.

The room I was looking at was richly decorated in king's colours. There was crimson and purple with gold decoration, and I wondered if anyone important was residing on this ship. Inside the room were three men. One sat at a desk, while the other two stood and talked. I felt a sense of awe as I stared at the scene, because the men looked really important. With my advanced hearing, I listened in. All the merfolk had amazing hearing because we were underwater, and it was ten times harder to hear or so I had been informed. All our senses were enhanced, and I could smell their scent too. It wasn't very human, I realised. I could hear no heartbeats either – who were these people?

"We will be back at Volterra soon," the man from the seat said. He had raven black hair and paper white skin – even paler than Lynnie's. That was odd, I thought.

"We need new talent, Aro," a blonde man replied. "Do not avoid the subject. If the Romanians attack us, we will need some new talent to kill them with. It is inevitable that we will be facing such a situation soon enough."

"Caius is right," the final man said in a whispery voice. "We must do something."

Aro looked discomfited. "We cannot just pick up humans from the street to change, and hope they will have some talent of use. We will need to find some existing vampires."

I gasped, rather audibly. Their heads snapped to the source of the noise – me, floating in the water next to their ship. Their eyes were crimson. I stared for one nano-second too long and flipped back under the water, accidentally revealing the fact that I had a tail as it flicked above the surface in the process of my diving. My mind was racing as I swam deeper under water. My heart was pounding. I had revealed our secret to vampires. I was not fit to be a mermaid. The ship was not even that far from the shore. What if they tried looking for me and came across the kingdom?

Then, I realised, they had been looking for talent. I had talent. Whether it was useful or not was quite a different matter, but I possessed one. I could bargain with them to keep away – but I did not have legs! I could never survive above water, because I would be a freak with a tail. The only way I could obtain legs was to go to the sea witch, I knew. She was an outcast of the kingdom, and I was sure to be an outcast as well if I asked for her help. But I would be one already, because I had broken the law and revealed my true self to someone who was not a mer. I had no other choice, to be honest. So, instead of swimming frantically home, I swam in the other direction that was not near the city, but near to the witch's sea cave.

It wasn't as I would have expected for a sea cave. As I peered in, I found it to be rather small and even cute, like my grandmother's house which was filled with frilly items and merdolls. I noticed the shelf of potions, the crystal ball and the witch's pet eels, encased in cages. They scowled at me as I entered cautiously. Then the witch herself came out, dressed in a flowing black sea dress which was decorated with various shells. It was the custom for female mer to dress in human tops or dresses these days, though not originally. After human endorsement of modesty, the mer followed suit.

The witch was a beautiful witch, not an ugly one like in the human story books. She was slender and had soft features. Her eyes were primrose pink, because, unlike humans, merfolk's eyes could be any colour at all, though most generally matched the tail colour. Mine were pale rose, in unison with my tail. Eyes did not follow genetics down here. I watched as the witch moved gracefully over to me, curling black hair floating dreamily around her. Her cold hand touched my face and she sighed softly.

"What can I help you with, sweetie?" she asked quietly, drifting to her crystal ball.

"I did something terrible," I whispered. "And I want to make it right. I want to become a human."

Her eyes flickered over me. "Come to me," she beckoned, so I swam to her and sat on a beautiful seat made of pearls which was positioned next to her crystal ball. She gazed into the glass sphere for a moment before speaking, though I could not see a thing. The witch was talented like me, but she had the coveted gift of future seeing. She was thousands of years old, I knew, but she did not appear a day over twenty. She was a wise woman, the only person who could help me now.

"Ah, yes," she said gently. "The human spell. I cannot make you a full human, my dear, but I can turn you closely into one."

My heart soared with hope. "How close?" I questioned eagerly.

"You will be a human all the time – until you touch water. Then you will be a mermaid again, until you are dry," she explained. "You can drink, though, such is the human need." She wrinkled her nose.

"Please," I sobbed, though it was virtually impossible to actually cry under water. "Please, change me into a human!"

She floated over to her shelf and reached down a vial of liquid. It was bright green, glowing dully in the cave. She looked at me dubiously, swinging the vial around under the water. "I have seen things," she told me. "Things you might become an outcast for, down here. Though you are certainly the happiest you will ever be, up in the air," she added. I doubted this, but merely nodded in reply, my eyes fixated on the vial, my beacon of hope. "Do you still want to be a half-human?" she asked finally. "You will always be a half-human, half-mer, you know. It is not reversible."

"Best of both worlds," I muttered, and the witch gave a half-hearted chuckle. "Please?" I fixed my eyes hopefully on her.

"It will be painful," she sighed. "You will wake up on the shore, in the morning."

She handed me the little bottle. I pulled the stopper off and put the vial to my lips. Then, throwing a quick word of thanks to the witch, I gulped back the horrible tasting liquid. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, in a rush of pain, I was choking, my eyes rolling back into my head as I gasped for air that I should not need. My limbs were heavy and felt like they were being stabbed with knives. I couldn't move – I was suspended in the water, my caramel hair fanning out behind me. I looked at the witch desperately. She put her hand on my numb shoulder, and said, "It will all be over soon." But I could barely hear her because then all the sounds of the ocean rushed together, louder and louder in my delicate ears, and I was lost in the blackness as I closed my eyelids.

**...**

**What did you think? Review, and tell me if I could improve it somehow or if you thought it was fine anyway! Thank you. :P**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the reviews, guys! I hope everybody likes this chapter.**

**...**

Chapter 2

On second thoughts, I had made a rash decision. Perhaps I could have explained myself and then could have just been punished severely, but it was too late now. I was on the shore, as the witch said – I could feel the roughness of the sand on my skin. That must mean I was... naked. I blushed to the roots of my hair, but it would be a few more minutes until I could move again to find some clothes. I just hoped that no humans had ventured down. It must have been late morning, because the sun had risen as I opened my eyes and peered around, though it wasn't the nicest of days.

I had come up here often, but I had never lain on the sand or walked upon it. I realised, with a thrill, that now I could run, jump or skip across the sand, and do whatever I pleased. I was free! The words made me delirious and afraid all at once. How was I supposed to live? I had no money and I had learnt that all humans had money so they could buy things for themselves, like food, drink and shelter. I shivered in the cold. It was an odd sensation because I had never felt cold before. The sea was always cold.

I panicked as I heard human voices coming towards me. I could still not move my limbs, though I could manage to wiggle my fingers and new-found toes. Luckily, my hair was shielding most of my body. It was waist-length, which was almost short underwater. Mermaids almost never cut their hair, though mermen always did. I knew I looked a state, like a girl washed up from a shipwreck. How was I meant to explain myself?

"Oh, goodness!" a woman's voice cried in horror. She crouched down beside me, and I acted dazed, eyes blinking frantically. She was speaking an unknown language, luckily one I had learnt underwater. "What happened, dear? Were you attacked? Are you hurt? Dave, call an ambulance!"

Her questions were a muddle in my brain. I used my voice for the first time since becoming a half-human, and I was relieved to find it was still my old melodic mermaid voice. "I don't know," I whispered, with tears – real human tears! – leaking out. "I can't remember anything."

"Don't worry, sweetheart," the woman said, tucking her long black coat around me. "We'll find out what's wrong." She sat and consoled me, until the human contraption that her husband had dialled for arrived. It was the weirdest thing I had ever seen.

It appeared to be a huge box on wheels, which was flashing a light and making a strange noise. I shrank back, startled by the 'ambulance'. Two people climbed from the back of the box and gently lifted me onto a 'stretcher', another wrapping a warm blanket around me. I shivered again, in the cold. My stretcher was placed into the back of the ambulance, and I instinctively let out a cry of fear as the vehicle started up. I received some odd looks from the ambulance staff, and one said, "Never been in an ambulance before, honey?" I innocently decided to try my luck with asking some questions.

"Where are we?" I said. "Like what country?" I still wasn't sure what language we were speaking. I knew it deep down, but I couldn't remember. The potion must have misplaced some of my memories, I realised.

The ambulance staff exchanged worried glances. "Italy, love," one answered. "What did you say you were called?"

"Serena," I told them. I was pleased enough to remember my own name. Also, the fact that I was a fish, but I refrained from telling them that or I might go to a lunatic asylum instead of the hospital.

"Serena, how did you end up on the beach?" one interrogated me. I shook my head and shrugged.

"I really can't remember."

They terminated the conversation after that.

The ambulance arrived at the hospital five minutes later. A hospital, I learnt, was just like underwater, only humans seemed to get a lot more sick than merfolk did. I saw a multitude of different patients – some old, some young, with broken bones, colds and diseases. I was wheeled down the corridor, still shivering. I squeezed my eyes shut to get rid of this nightmare. I imagined I was back underwater, swimming around with Lynnie and Imogene, and that I had listened to them and never gone to look at that ship. I was put on to a hospital bed in a little side room.

"The doctor will be in momentarily to check you over," a nurse said. "Do you have any questions? Does anything hurt at all?"

"Can I have some clothes?" I asked hurriedly. "And, no," I added as she handed me some underwear, jeans, a t-shirt, flat shoes and a cardigan, which I changed quickly into once she left the room. I grinned as I stood up to put on my jeans. I shimmied into them with a flourish, and a moment later the doctor wandered into the room.

He was an old man, which was something I didn't see much of underwater. Every merfolk was basically young and gorgeous, even great grandmers who were sometimes thousands of years old. The doctor had twinkling eyes and I decided I liked him. He had a clipboard in his hand and his pen was poised to write down anything I told him. It was a shame I didn't have much, just a huge amount of questions to ask.

"Hi, there," he said. "You're Serena, I take it?" I nodded, smiling.

"The ambulance staff said you seemed a little confused, Serena," he commented. "Is there any reason for this?"

I shrugged and tried to appear innocent. "No," I said. "I guess I was just a little dazed when I woke up, that's all."

He fixed me with a hard stare, but jotted down onto his clipboard. He spoke as wrote. "Ah, yes," he said, "why were you on the beach, Serena?"

I thought back to the shore again, and I decided on a probable story. "I was on a friend's boat which I had borrowed for fishing," I said casually, in what I hoped was a convincing manner. "And I had sailed out to the deeper parts, when I sailed into some rocks and the boat began sinking." I forced some tears out to add some depth to my story, because the doctor was looking rather doubtful. "I tried swimming but I'm not good at it, and I clung to a floating piece of debris from the boat until I washed up on shore, I guess. I don't feel any pain anywhere, so I think I'm fine and not injured."

The doctor was nodding and making sympathetic noises. Then he placed his clipboard down and looked over me in a quick check-up. He must have been confident that I had no injuries because he was smiling at me. I got up slowly – new legs took time to master – and I stumbled slightly. The doctor's face seemed alarmed, and he put a hand on me shoulder to steady. I laughed reassuringly. "I'm always clumsy," I said by way of explanation, and he nodded.

"I suggest going home and resting for a few days," he told her. "Take it easy. If you don't feel right at all, come back to here and we'll check you over."

I thanked him and wandered down the corridors until I located the exit. I really wasn't sure what to do now because I had no money and nowhere to go. The street outside was busy – more vehicles were trundling along, people were strolling up and down the street and there were loads of shops and places to eat. I felt my stomach growl. I wanted some fish or something salty, but humans didn't drink salty water like we did. I found it rather peculiar that they just drank unsalted, plain water but I guessed I would have to drink it as well, to fit in more. Feeling overwhelmed and suddenly exhausted, I headed across the road into a little park area where there were loads of benches. This day had been so surreal and strange – one second I had been on the beach, next at a hospital, and now I was a homeless person on a bench.

I collapsed into the seat and watched the people passing by. This seemed to be the main area where the town's teenagers gathered, because almost all the benches were taken up with them. I watched them in utter fascination. They were content to sit and talk. I noticed all of them drank something called 'Coca Cola'. Some of them were sipping diet versions. I had never been on a diet, but most of the mermaids in my school class had. You sort of did need to look good when you mostly wore bikini tops, I supposed.

In the midst of my thinking, a guy had come up to me. He was my age, seventeen, and quite good-looking for a human, though not as beautiful as the mermen were. "Hey," he said, a cocky grin on his face. "I'm Robert. Wanna hang with us?" He nodded his head towards a group of three girls and two boys who were lounging around.

"I'm Serena," I said. "And sure, why not?"

The other two boys were called Mario and Leo, the girls being Sasha, Zoe and Andrea. I found myself instinctively liking Zoe's unobtrusive personality. She was interested in me, but she knew when I was uncomfortable to answer some of the others questions. They all found the need to ask me awkward things about myself which I invented answers for. I think it was the mer vibes I gave off – the same ones which made my tail glow when I was feeling good. They seemed to attract humans to me.

By the end, they had gathered that I was an English student staying out here with my boyfriend to practice my – perfectly fluent, I might add – Italian. (I thanked the teachers for teaching that language. I had no idea I even lived near Italy.) Throughout this I was growing depressingly more hungry. I crossed my arms over my stomach with a grimace. I knew it was wrong to steal, but I was desperate, and I hadn't eaten for a day. The sky was growing increasingly darker and glancing at a clock tower in the square, I saw it was almost seven. I heard, at that moment, the ominous jingle of my shell phone.

"Sorry," I apologised. "I should get this."

I pulled the phone out. It was shell shaped, decorated by my design student sister with little crystals from the sea floor. The girls were staring at the phone with awe etched on their faces. I knew human teenagers had phones, so I wondered why they thought it was so cool.

"Wow!" Sashaa said. "Did someone design that for you?"

"Um, yeah," I replied in confusion. "My sister."

I put the phone to my ear and covered the other one, because the street was busy. I felt a funny twist of nerves in my stomach, a sensation I had never experienced before. I could feel my face break out into a cold sweat, my hands go clammy and the acrid taste of bile rising in my throat.

"Hello?" I said in a quaking voice.

"Oh, my GOD, Serena!" Lynnie's voice cried. "Where the HELL are you? Everyone's out of it with worry! I am so mad at myself! We shouldn't have left you! Have you been attacked by a shark? Tell us where you are! Why didn't you call!"

I wasn't expecting the tirade from her. They didn't know. I felt a wash of relief, then guilt at my revelation to them. So my human almost-friends wouldn't hear, I nodded at them apologetically and moved away a little. They looked at me worriedly. Why were they so worried?

"I'm on the surface," I whispered quietly.

"No, you're not! We're on the surface! Please, don't lie, Serena. Are you in trouble?"

"Not that surface. On the land. I went to the witch," I gushed. "The ship's people saw me."

I heard a sharp intake of breath from the other end. To my horror, I heard the phone's dialling tone and I knew instantly that she had hung up. I thought she'd be there for me, my best friend. But she wasn't. Hot tears of shame flooded down my face and I realised, with embarrassment, that I was crying audibly. I had nowhere to turn to now. I was a shameful disgrace.

"Serena!" I heard Nick say from behind me, and I turned abruptly, wiping my face.

"I'm fine!" I snapped, sounding terribly rude. "Sorry," I snuffled, brushing my tears away with the back of my hand. "It's been a long day." More tears slipped down my cheeks.

Robert looked me hard in the eye, then said softly. "Is it... your boyfriend?"

I was surprised to say the least, but maybe I was too distraught to do anything other than go along with his claim. I averted my eyes downward, still sniffing, and nodded.

"Is he always like this?" More nodding from me.

"Does he force you to do things you don't want to?" Yes.

He slipped an arm around my shoulders, in a friendly way, and steered me back to the group. I had just told them I had an abusive boyfriend, I suddenly noted with some shock. The rest of them had obviously heard, because they looked horrified. Sasha went so far as to fling her arms around me in a tight hug. It was strangely comforting, being hugged by a virtual stranger, especially when I had been dumped by my best friend when I needed her.

"Oh, goodness!" Sasha cried. "You can't go back to your flat!"

"I can't go anywhere else," I explained sadly.

"Come stay with me!" she begged. "I'm staying alone in my parent's holiday house! I'd love a housemate!"

This was too good an offer to pass up and I suddenly felt a rush of affection for this human girl. I found myself squeezing her back until we released each other. I was still sobbing – why could I not stop this absurd crying? "Thank you," I howled, and that could never explain the gratefulness I felt towards her.

"Why don't we get something to eat?" Mario suggested. He looked at me. "You look hungry."

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I don't have any money."

"It's on me," Sasha said firmly, and before I could protest against this, she was firmly steering me towards a restaurant across the road, with the others following behind.

**...**

**The vampires will come in very soon, I can assure you. Keep reviewing and once again, thank you to those that have! You make me very happy. :)**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I opened my eyes. I was in a comfortable four-poster bed, tucked up amidst pillows, cushions and duvets in some beautiful room that was looking over countryside. I sat bolt upright with confusion, and gathering my thoughts together, remembered that I was 'crashing' at Sasha's house. I collapsed back onto the bed with a sigh of relief, snatches of the previous day running through my mind – the beach, the hospital, Nick and his friends, the phone incident. Oh, God, they still thought I had an abusive boyfriend. I looked at the clock, which told me it was seven, and snuggled back under the covers to go to sleep.

It was impossible. I was too charged with excitement, because I really wanted to just get up and do some things that humans did but mermaids didn't. My eyes spied the 'ensuite bathroom' across the room from the bedside. I knew the big bowl thing was a human washing contraption, but I didn't know how to use it. Mermaids did wash, but it wasn't often because the water kept us clean. When we did need to, we tended to swim down to the underwater lakes. I quietly slipped out of bed, and, tiptoeing so as not to wake Sasha in the room below, crossed the floor and went into the bathroom, shutting and locking the door after me.

Then I recalled the witch's words – "You will be a human all the time – until you touch water. Then you will be a mermaid again, until you are dry" – and pondered this one over. I went over to the large bowl thing. It had some spouts, which when turned on by the knob things on the top, caused water to come out and fill into the bowl. I did a little happy dance, jumping around and clapping my hands gleefully. Then I fell over, because I still wasn't that great at using my legs. And Sasha had thought my klutziness was 'so cute'.

After noticing that the water wasn't staying in the bowl I realised you had to plug it first, so after doing this and adding some stuff called 'bubble bath' I stripped off, and – bracing myself for my tail – got in. The water was lovely and warm, and I was submerged in mountains of bubbles because I wasn't sure about the amount of the soap I was meant to have used. Bubbles kept detaching and sticking to the pink walls of the bathroom, like large butterflies. I felt my legs bond and morph into my tail, shining in all its glory in the water. The bowl was too small to accommodate its full length though, so I lounged it over the edge where the end skimmed the floor when I wiggled it.

I found the whole bath concept – the bowl and the bubbles, the fact that my tail didn't fit – so surreal and so very hilarious that I began to giggle. My tail began to glow through all the soapy suds, something that I was pleased to discover I hadn't lost during my half-human transformation. I closed my eyes, in total bliss, and leaned back against the bath. I was losing all track of time, but I was happy here with my dull brown hair fanning out beside me. I must have lost so much track that I hadn't heard Sasha get up and enter my bedroom.

"Hey, Serena!" she called. I opened my eyes with a jolt and hurriedly attempted to clamber from the bowl, landing with a squeak and thump on the floor in the process.

"Serena?" Sasha asked with alarm. "Are you okay in there?"

I rolled over and propped myself up with my elbows, tail stretched gloriously across the floor. I mustered my best I'm-not-a-mythical-creature voice. "I'm fine," I called. "Just slipped. You know how clumsy I am." I forced a laugh.

"If you're sure," she said. "I'm putting on breakfast. Do you want some pancakes?"

I resisted the urge to ask what 'pancakes' were. Mermaids snacked on fish all the time. "Yes, please. I'll be down in a sec," I promised. I heard her footsteps back out of the room.

I awkwardly pulled the plug from the bath – which was hard when you had a tail – and used my powers of fire to dry of my tail. Wrapped in a fluffy towel, I wandered back into the bedroom and suddenly realised I had nothing whatsoever to put on. Then I noticed a little pile of clothes folded neatly on the bed, with a note from Sasha on the top. There were some undergarments and then I saw the most beautiful dress I'd ever seen in my life. It was a soft, clinging fabric which tumbled down to the knee in hordes of blooming silk. It slipped on like a glove, because Sasha and I were about the same height (short) and size (small). I pulled on, with some moments of confusion, a pair of strappy shoes. Still possessing my mermaid senses I could hear Sasha bustling about in the kitchen and the smell of something delicious emanating up, so I quickly brushed out my hair and hurried downstairs.

Sasha was still dressed in her dressing gown. She reminded me of a cat, with her green eyes, black hair and sharp features. On the table were some bottles of... I had no idea what, and some cutlery. I'd learnt how to use knives and forks in the restaurant last night, after watching the others use them.

"Hello," I said to Sasha, and then added, "This all smells delicious."

She grinned at me. "I wish I could said I'd made these pancakes, but I'm afraid to say I bought them over at the supermarket." I wasn't sure what a supermarket was, but I grinned back anyway.

Pancakes turned out to be circular little objects which were the most delectable things I had ever eaten. I poured on 'chocolate sauce' after Sasha recommended it to me – from what I knew, chocolate seemed to be a human delicacy.

"These are amazing, Sasha!" I exclaimed.

"Thought you'd like them," Sasha said, then she looked thoughtful for a moment. "You know, Serena, I've never met anyone like you before," she commented.

"What do you mean?" I asked curiously.

"Sometimes you act like you're from a different planet," she said vaguely, shaking her head. "Probably just me being weird." We both laughed, me somewhat uneasily.

"Oh," Sasha remembered. "I'm really sorry, but I have to go visit my grandparents today. They live over in Rome, so I'm going to be driving for ages to get there. I won't be back tonight, maybe not tomorrow night either. I'm really sorry – if your boyfriend phones again, call Nick and they boys and they'll go beat him up for you, okay?"

"It's fine," I mumbled awkwardly. But today was the perfect opportunity for exploration, so I wasn't totally miserable that I was going to be a loner all day.

And that was how I found myself wandering around the town that I had eventually deciphered as Volterra. My favourite spot was the central area called Palazzo dei Priori, a spot where I could sit and people-watch. I found myself instinctively gazing up at a huge castle, where I swore I could see people in dark cloaks gazing out from the windows and towers. No humans could have noticed this, but my advanced eyesight made out every tiny detail. I was freaked out by it, but at the same time immensely fascinated to see inside the beautiful building.

"Hey, darlin'!" a man suddenly called out, swaggering up to me. I could smell the alcohol radiating off him from a mile away. I frowned in disgust. "Wanna hang with me and my mates?" They were all leering at me – I got up.

"No, thanks," I said, sticking my nose in the air and walking away.

I had learnt that I charm the market stall's owners into giving me some of their stock – mermaid vibes – but I used it only when I needed something. For lunch, I crunched on an apple which I had been given by the man who managed the fruit stall. He called me 'bella signora' and also handed me some money to get lunch when I told him I had none. I thanked him but I really wanted to have some cash to give to Sasha, so I kept it, feeling a little guilty. I could live on some apples for now.

I walked around a bit more until I noticed the strappy sandals had rubbed my feet raw. Cursing, I sat on a bench and, upon further inspection, saw I had pretty bad blisters as well. I would have to find plasters at Sasha's house, if she had some. I rubbed my sore fee, when I noticed a girl standing in front of me with a smile plastered over her face. She was one of the most beautiful girls I had ever seen – the picture of air-brushed perfection. I could see other women giving her the once over as they strolled past, keeping a firm grip on their husband's and boyfriend's arms.

"Can I help you?" I asked her politely.

"Oh," she said breezily. "My name is Heidi. I was just wondering whether you'd be interested in a tour, miss."

I raised an eyebrow. Was this a scam? "I'm sorry," I said, "but I have no money."

"It's free," she assured me. "It doesn't take long either. Just a quick tour around our wonderful Volterra castle."

My heart leaped – I wanted to go in that castle so badly, despite the fact it was so creepy. Something in my mind was telling me not to go, but the want was too strong. So, just to ease my curiosity, I agreed.

Now I was waiting with all the other tourists in the reception area of the castle. That was strange – what castle had a reception? There was a pretty woman behind the desk, who seemed to do nothing but sit and tap her manicured nails on the marble surface. I noticed she wore an apprehensive expression on her face, and I wondered why. She was beautiful, but she could never be in the same inhuman league as Heidi. _Inhuman_. I shuddered and I wasn't sure why. Speaking of Heidi, our tour guide entered soon after, eyes glittering. It hadn't occurred to me before, but her eyes were violet. I'd never seen humans with eyes like that before, only merfolk.

"Everyone ready?" she called.

I dutifully followed the pack of tourists around. I found these humans rather annoying, with their flashing cameras and loud comments. Heidi seemed frustrated with them also, but this was carefully masked with a pleasant face. There was something off about her – I listened harder and heard no heartbeat from her. I gasped. I had an immediate flashback of the ship, and it was clear to me now; the beauty, the white skin, the lack of heartbeat, the scent. They were _vampires_. And I, along with all these people, was about to become their next meal.

I hung around the back of the group, pretending to admire the artwork on the walls, until the tourists had all disappeared around the corner. Then I began to creep quickly in the opposite direction despite the fact I was hopelessly lost in a castle full of potentially hungry vampires. My panic increased as I smelt human blood in the air and heard the screams punctuate the silence. I hurtled down corridors, turning randomly down some if there was more than one to take. Eventually I burst into the reception again – the woman was still perched behind her desk. When she saw me, her eyes widened and she whipped out a mobile, speed-dialling a number in an instant.

"One must have escaped!" she shrieked into the phone. "Send someone up here!"

In the same millisecond, she pressed a button to secure the doors – precisely the same time I used my powers to freeze her. Her eyes swivelled, but she was immobile. I was pleased to discover I could still use the elements as a human. Before the vampires arrived, I re-pressed the button under her desk. The doors swung open and as fast as I could run, I was out of there. I could run a little faster than humans but I fell over when I tried to so, so I ran at normal human pace.

I dived into the sunshine. I knew vampires sparkled in the sunlight, so I was relatively safe. I flopped next to the fountain, in the direct sunlight, to gather myself. My eyes were fixated on the doors, and, a moment later, as I had predicted, some figures appeared. One of them was Aro from the ship. Flanking him was a giant man and a smaller woman whose eyes were darting about nervously. I tried to look conspicuous but Aro must have known it was me anyway. His eyes met mine, sliding from recognition, to shock, to a look of disbelief. I decided this was the time to get away.

"Stop!" I heard Aro cry as I darted through the crowds, but I wasn't listening.

People stared at me. But I didn't stop, not until I was back at Sasha's house. Had she been there, I would never have gone back and put her in potential danger, but while she was gone I stayed there anyway. I was so terrified I didn't even notice that I was shaking uncontrollably and making odd whimpering noises. That night I locked all the doors and windows – like it would do anything – and huddled under the sheets of my bed, hoping that tonight wouldn't be my last. I said a prayer, like I had seen humans do, and finally fell into an uneasy sleep.

**...**

**The vampires have arrived! What did you think? Review, please! Also, thanks for the reviews from the last chapter. I really appreciate them. :)**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

I woke up, shivering. It was so cold – the floor was stone, the walls were stone. There was a door, a toilet and sink, a slit window which let in enough minor light for me to tell it was morning, and that was it. I was curled up in a ball on the floor, trying to retain some heat. I still had on my tiny summer top and shorts combination. I couldn't remember why I was here, because I was so drowsy. I wondered if I had been given some form of sedatives. Something about some vampires... and a tour?

That was it! The tour – I had gone on it with that tour guide... Heidi, and then I had run away. I recalled Aro's face when I ran. He hadn't looked happy. Now I was going to be stuck in this dungeon forever or until I died. Or not, because I couldn't die of old age. I sat up, drawing my knees to my chest and resting my chin on them. What was I doing, just sitting here? The thought flashed through my mind. I should be trying to escape! I clambered to my shaking feet.

The slit window was far too narrow to slip through, even though I was very thin. That left the door. It was a heavy oak affair, but that didn't sway my determination. I had the elements on my side. I pondered what element I could use. I supposed I could set it on fire, then freeze it again? I knew vampires didn't like fire, which would distract any guards outside for a few minutes. I smiled, then poised my hands towards the door. A little ball of hot fire appeared in my hand, and I gently flicked it. Upon collision, the door instantly burst into glowing flames.

"Oh, crap!" someone hollered to a fellow guard. "He didn't tell us she could set things on fire!"

I listened until I heard pattering up the hall. I presumed the guards had retreated, because the entire thing fell with a crash to the floor with a flurry of smoke. I coughed, then lifted my hands again, sending a jet of water towards the remains of the burning door. While the door spluttered, I poked my head through the now door-less doorway. The coast seemed to be clear because I could hear no motions or muttering, but I couldn't smell any scents over the smoke which was filling the corridor. I dived left, stumbling through the smoke. I would rather have done this in normal clothes than night ones, so I hoped I didn't wander in to anyone's path.

A few more corridors later and I was still wandering through dungeons. Where were the stairs? They must have been where the guards ran up – there were none around here. I cursed my stupidity. Could I blow a hole in the ceiling overhead? No, I probably could not. I scowled as I wandered around a bit more. It was so cold down here! I sank down against the wall, my teeth chattering. Hopefully I could die of hypothermia before the vampires found me. I lit a fire in hand and placed it in front of me for warmth. Then I closed my eyes, because I was still really exhausted.

I must have fallen asleep for a while, because the next thing I heard was, "There she is!"

I blinked a bit, and then was startled into alertness when two cold arms closed around me in a vice. The man swung me easily over his shoulder, and as I kicked and thrashed wildly, he only laughed. He was the tallest person I had ever seen – a seven foot giant. He seemed to find me amusing because he kept an humoured smile on his face, which annoyed me greatly. Maybe that was the point though. Another guy was following behind us, smaller than the giant counterpart, but still a lot taller than me. He kept a rather deadpan expression on his face, but he also looked like he was trying not to chuckle at my childishness. I decided to try a different tactic.

"Please don't put me back in that cell!" I pleaded. The pair exchanged glances. "Or can you at least turn on the heating?" I added hopefully. "I could get hypothermia and die."

"Sorry, Miss Picky, we don't have any down here," the giant boomed, rolling his eyes as if I was meant to know that. Ha, I should have known.

"My name is Serena!" I snapped.

I was unceremoniously abandoned in another cell, this one featuring a metal door that I found would take a lot more time to melt. Apart from that, it was exactly the same as the other one, although I found I now had a pet in the form of a rat. For some reason, the rat didn't mind me that much. It just scurried around the cell, looking a little wistfully at the window it couldn't reach. Since this was a dungeon, the window was in level with the ground, so I scooped the little fellow up in my hands and he crept through the slit. I peered through and watched him go, then slumped back against the wall, alone again.

There was a little peep hole in the metal door – I looked through. Though I couldn't see the giant and his pal, I knew they were there. They were talking in low voices, and probably didn't realise I had more advanced hearing than a human. I narrowed my eyes.

"Hey!" I yelled. "When can I get out of here?"

Silence. It was now raining – a little puddle was forming on the floor. I knew I could not let that water near me, so I evaporated it. I still had no answer, but I heard their voices fall silent.

"I know you're there, guys," I said. "I could hear you talking. And I also know you can hear me."

There was a pause, then – "When the lords want to see you."

"Great," I said sarcastically. "When's that then?"

They fell silent again, and I gave up. I had lost track of time, but one of them had slid an music playing device under the door, which I learnt was called an iPod. I took this gratefully, because I really liked the music that humans made. It was different to mer music, which was all choir-like and wailing. I could not sing to save my life – contrary to popular belief, not all mermaids can sing that good. In the midst of my thinking, the cell door swung open. I looked blankly up and saw a woman enter.

She was beautiful, naturally because she was a vampire. Her eyes were big, doe-like, innocent; her hair was a pile of old-fashioned chestnut ringlets. She wore a black cloak – it swooped into a large red 'V' at the front, the Volturi emblem. The woman possessed an odd sort of purity and sweetness that vampires did not usually have. In her hand were some clothes and underwear, and she turned her back while I changed. I was still cold and shivering, so she took off her cardigan and passed it to me. I thanked her, but she still said nothing, merely gesturing for me to follow her.

A moment later, I was being ushered into a grand room. A fire was burning in a grate, which was strange being as vampires hated fire. In the room were five vampires – Aro, Caius and Marcus, and two unknown women. I presumed they were Caius' and Aro's wives, from the way they both hung off their husband's arm. The woman whom escorted me here made her escape back through the door. As I entered, one of the wives clapped her hands together and stepped forwards, glee evident on her lovely face.

I practically jumped fifteen feet into the air as put her cold hands on either side of my face. "Oh," she gushed, "she's such a doll, Aro!" The woman was tall and had beautiful blonde hair which tumbled down to her waist, like a fairy princess in a human story book. In reality I knew fairies did not actually look like this, as I noted the first and only time I had so far met them, but she was pretty either way.

"Hello?" I said, but by now the other woman had come over too. They were both studying me, hands clasped, with enraptured expressions on their faces. Was I that much of a freak show? My face remained in a pleasant smile, but really I was slightly irritated.

"She'd look so pretty in a dress, instead of those old clothes," the blonde lady muttered to her friend. "You smell mouth-wateringly delightful, by the way," she commented airily to me.

"Um... thanks?" I stuttered. Was that the right thing to say? Just then I heard a soft chuckle from behind the women. I had almost forgotten that there were other vampires in the room.

"My dears, I think you might be overwhelming our guest," Aro said smoothly. The blonde woman flitted over to his side and clutched his arm, giggling. She was really maxing her fairy impression to its limits.

"I think we should keep her, Aro," she wheedled. I could at least thank her for pleading my case.

Aro smiled at her, gently detached himself from her grasp, and drifted over to me. I watched him warily as he did so. "Might I take your hand, young one?" he asked politely. I was too scared to say no, and I had a feeling that this man was not someone you said no to anyway. I nodded fearfully. Caius and Marcus were watching this exchange with sharp eyes, though Caius looked more bored whereas Marcus' face looked slightly upset. He was scrutinising me much more closely, and I wondered why.

I could see the memories Aro was flicking through. My wayward childhood, what I saw and heard from the ship that evening, my transformation and Sasha. I hoped Sasha was okay. Should I send her a note that I was fine? I wondered. Aro must have seen this, because he nodded along. "Yes, you should," he told me, "but under supervision."

_Don't trust me? _I thought to him.

But he didn't hear me, because he was too immersed in the memories of my powers. A delighted smile was spread across his face – I took this to be a good thing. He didn't want to kill me yet, hopefully. He was mulling something over, I could see. Possibly whether I would be executed or not. But then, if I was not going to be killed, would I have to stay here all my life? Eternity was a long time.

"You are immortal?" I had forgotten that Aro still had my hand.

"Yeah, once I hit eighteen," I shrugged. "Why?"

"And you are seventeen?" he clarified, ignoring my previous question.

"Yes," I said, and fireworks practically exploded behind his crimson eyes. "Oh, but this is wonderful!" he cried joyfully, dropping my hand. "Excuse us for a moment, my dear," he added to me, as he floated back over to Caius and Marcus, and promptly began to converse quietly with them. I could have listened in, but I didn't because the women had moved back over.

"I am Sulpicia," the fairy woman said. "This is Athenodora." She gestured to the other woman. Athenodora was elfin-like, with pointed features, a slender body and a mane of wild auburn hair.

"Dora," she said. "Call me Dora. You are Serena."

I was going to ask how on earth she knew that, but Aro interrupted. Caius looked a little more interested in me than he had before, though Marcus was still staring at me with an infuriated expression. What was that man's problem with me?

"Serena," Aro addressed me, more respect evident on his face than before. "Never have we encountered any of your species before – it has been an honour, young one. But onto my point... we feel your talents could be beneficial to us, Serena, therefore we have made a decision. Would you like to join the Volturi as an honorary guard member?"

I was not expecting that.

For a moment, my mind was blank. I was completely and utterly stunned by the offer. It was a dream – a new life for me, though I could sense that there would be some hard work. But what about the rest of the guard? Would they like me? I would be a halfling amongst a bunch of vampires. It could spell disaster, so what the hell was I meant to say to Aro? My mind was a whirl.

"Before you answer," Aro cut in quickly, "we do have a condition."

I looked at him suspiciously. This couldn't be good.

"We would like to bite you," he said simply. "We want to see if we can maximise your powers. We want to make you into the first half-vampire, half-mermaid in the world."

**...**

**Don't you love dramatic endings? I hope that was a nice little twist that I chucked in there. Anyway, sorry for not updating earlier. I was busy, though I do realise that is a totally lame excuse. **

**Thank you to my lovely reviewers. You motivate me to open up Microsoft Word and start typing. Here are some virtual chocolate muffins for you! :)**


End file.
